Pokémon Rumble (Japanese: 乱戦！ポケモンスクランブルMelee! Pokémon Scramble) is a WiiWare game released in Japan on June 16, 2009. It was released on November 16 for North America, and in Europe four days afterwards. It can be purchased for 1,500 Wii Points. A prototype for North America was shown at the Wizard World's Big Apple Comic Con.

Blurb

Introducing a new kind of Pokémon challenge, available exclusively to the WiiWare service! Pokémon Rumble is an action game in which you control Toy Pokémon (referred to as "Pokémon") and take on wave after wave of other Pokémon in a variety of stages.

Befriend some of the defeated Pokémon along the way, adding them to your collection and granting you the ability to use them in battle. Switch between collected Pokémon at any time, taking advantage of the fact that the amount of damage you deal depends on the type of move used and the type of Pokémon hit. Be the last one standing to gain the right to compete in the Battle Royale and test your skills against many Pokémon at once.

Or team up with three people for some multiplayer action, working together to take down tough Bosses and earning points that can be used towards recruiting or training Pokémon. You can even save your favorite Pokémon to your Wii Remote controller for exchanges with friends.

Combining beautiful cel-shaded graphics and exciting game play features with the world of Pokémon, this is one Rumble you won't want to miss!

Story

Pokémon Rumble takes place in a world with Toy Pokémon that come to life after winded up by a Wonder Key. A toy Rattata controlled by the player sneaks into the Battle Royale hoping to prove its strength, but is defeated. The player then collects more toys from each level and defeats boss Pokémon to pass each Battle Royale and prove their strength!

Adventure Mode

In Adventure Mode, there are several Normal Rank stages on each level where Pokémon can be befriended. All Pokémon in the Normal Rank stages are from Generation I. In the first level, Rank C, the first stage revealed is Silent Forest. Once completed, Windy Prairie, Rocky Cave, Fiery Furnace, Bright Beach, and Eternal Tower are accessible. In every subsequent level, all stages are available immediately. The Battle Royale building will not open until a Pokémon of a certain power level is befriended. After the Battle Royale is won, the player will increase in rank, and the next higher level will be accessible. If the player faints three times in one stage, they are sent back to the terminal and instructed to reattempt stages to befriend more powerful Pokémon. In Multiplayer mode, if the two players faint three times combined, they are both sent back to the terminal.

Once the player has beaten Mewtwo in the Rank S Battle Royale, Advanced Mode is revealed. Advanced Mode contains Generation IV Pokémon. After completing the Advanced Mode, EX Mode is unlocked, consisting of random Pokémon from both previous modes as well as some new ones.

Recruited Pokémon

Recruited Pokémon are Pokémon available to switch into battle. They appear listed in a menu item. Pokémon with pink names have Special Traits, those with blue names are Shiny, and those with white names are typical. If a Pokémon has a Special Trait and is Shiny, its name will still appear blue in the list.

Pokémon can be recruited through battling in one of the six stages in the terminal, through purchase at the Recruit Point, or through entering a password at the Recruit Point.

Features

The game is played with the Wii Remote on its side, a Classic Controller, or a GameCube controller (Multiplayer only).

There is a Battle Royale mode where players control their Pokémon in a massive pit where lots of other Pokémon appear. The last one that remains standing will be the winner. Players control both the Pokémon's movement and what move they use.

It also has a story mode where there are levels which end with a battle where in a giant Pokémon is a boss. The boss may be a legendary Pokémon. Other Pokémon are obtained through defeating them in this mode.

Players can also take screenshots of their Pokémon in the battles.

There is a two-player co-op mode, as well as a stadium mode where up to four players can battle. Other players of this game can also bring their Pokémon from their game on the Wii Remote, similar to Miis.

Similar to the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, the player may enter in passwords which can be used to get Pokémon that either are not regularly obtainable in the game or have Special Traits. Such codes are released through official media.

Pokémon can know up to 2 moves at a time.

Shiny Pokémon are also included in the game, which the player is automatically able to befriend if knocked over.

Only Pokémon from Generation I and Generation IV are obtainable in the game.

For a price, the player may purchase a Pokémon from the certain area they are in. The Pokémon is usually a boss, or a rare Pokémon.

As they are toys, Pokémon with different Formes, such as Shaymin, cannot change from Forme to Forme.

Release Tickets

If the player releases a certain group of Pokémon, he/she can grab a Pokémon Ticket.

Releasing five of the same Pokémon will merit a ticket for the next highest stage of evolution. Releasing five of the highest stage of an evolution line will merit a ticket for the basic Pokémon. Pokémon who do not have an evolution that appears in the game will not merit any tickets. Releasing five Eevee will also not merit a ticket.

There are only a limited amount of combos and the player is only able to carry one ticket at a time. Tickets can be redeemed at the red roofed building at the very bottom of the Terminal.

Reception

Pokémon Rumble received a "Passable" score of 6.0 out of 10 from IGN, stating that those who like to collect Pokémon have "got your work cut out for you" and while the title is a fun brawler, the game's graphics were "ugly, even for wind-up toys" and game play became tedious quickly.[4]